56. RABBIT KILLS BIG MAN-EATER

Big Man-eater lived with his wife at a certain place and wanted to kill human beings. People heard of it and said, "They want to kill us," and all were afraid. Then Rabbit said, "Give me an old dress," and they gave it to him. He said, "Give me an old blanket," and they gave that to him. Then he put on the dress, wrapped up his head in the old blanket, and started off.

When he reached the place and stood in the yard Big Man-eater's wife saw him and came out, and asked who he was. "I am your youngest aunt who has traveled to this place," he said. "Come in," said Big Man-eater's wife, so he started to go in. "Sit down," she said, and down he sat.

Then they gave the supposed aunt some hard deer meat to eat, but he said, "I can't eat that, because I have no teeth. I need a hatchet, for I can't eat that [as it is]." So they gave him a hatchet and he chopped the dry venison into small pieces and ate them. Then he said, "That is the way I always eat it."

Now Big Man-eater lay down but the two women sat still by the fire. Rabbit said to Big Man-eater's wife, "When your husband is asleep what kind of noise does he make?" "When he is not sleeping very soundly he makes a noise like 'sololon sololon.' When he makes a noise like 'soloñ soloñ' he is very sound asleep."

"I will stay all night with you; in the morning I will start on," said Rabbit. So Big Man-eater's wife lay down and Rabbit lay down close to the fire. As he lay there he listened to the noises Big Man-eater was making. Then he slept and made a noise like "sololon sololon." After some time he made a noise like "soloñ soloñ." Then Rabbit took the hatchet and, after he had sat close to Big Man-eater for a while listening, he struck him with it in the neck and cut his head off. Then he threw off his old dress and blanket, shouted, jumped up and down several times, went out of the house, and ran off.